The present invention relates to a transfer printing method wherein with utilization of a thermal transfer technique there is fabricated a master sheet having thereon a master image containing heat-migrating dyes for yellow, magenta and cyan, and then the heat-migrating dyes in the master image are transferred onto an image receptor to form a dyed image thereon, and a heat-melt transfer medium usable in the transfer printing method.
Heretofore, there was proposed a transfer printing method wherein with use of a color thermal transfer printer, a heat-meltable ink layer containing a disperse dye for yellow, a heat-meltable ink layer containing a disperse dye for magenta and a heat-meltable ink layer containing a disperse dye for cyan are selectively melt-tranferred onto a foundation for master sheet in a predetermined order according to image signals to form a master image on the foundation, and the thus obtained master sheet carrying the master image is placed on an image receptor and the resulting assembly is heated under pressure to form a full-color dyed image on the image receptor (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 327988/1992).
However, this method has a drawback that a clear full-color image can not be obtained unless the image receptor is one which is readily dyed with the disperse dye, for example, a polyester fabric.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a transfer printing method capable of forming a dyed image, especially a full-color dyed image, on any image receptor regardless of the kind thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat-melt transfer medium useful in the above-mentioned transfer printing method.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter.